


Gringotts Partnership

by sarhea



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Naruto
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Community: au_bigbang, Crossover, Drama, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-25
Updated: 2012-08-25
Packaged: 2017-11-12 21:31:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/495853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarhea/pseuds/sarhea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hermione never imagined the doors opened to her when she accepted a job as a Gringotts ward-creator. When she receives an opportunity to study she cannot pass up on it and is introduced to a young jounin Minato Namikaze. This changes everything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gringotts Partnership

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: minor violence, off-side deaths  
> Spoilers: Yondaime’s back history, AU pre-season1 Naruto canon, B7EWE Harry Potter  
> Disclaimer: The characters and ‘verses hereon belong to their respective owners; I’m simply playing with them and I’m not making any profit from this work. Hermione Granger and Potterverse were created by J.K. Rowling. Minato Namikaze and Narutoverse were created by Masashi Kishimoto.  
> For: LJ Community AU_BigBang - Round 3 – mini-bang  
> Thank you for the awesome art Bat. Go over and have a look for yourself! [on LJ](http://hamimifk.livejournal.com/229544.html) | [on DW](http://hamimi-fk.dreamwidth.org/130004.html) 

Hermione resisted the urge to fidget, to flick off non-existent fluff from her plum robes. After several tense minutes the three senior goblins sitting across from her shifted minutely.

"Do not be concerned Miss Granger, Gringotts has no concerns regarding your competence."

Her shoulders sagged in relief before she was reminded if it was not her performance as a ward designer…

"Senior Manager Gnarlclaw, could you please explain then, why have you re-distributed my workload? I don't have any projects left!"

The goblin sitting on Gnarlclaw's left made a chuffing sound. "For a very rare opportunity Miss Granger. You are the first human magical to be given this chance in forty years."

Hermione perked up. "Opportunity?" she asked leaning forward.

"Yes. To study ward creation on a level most will never see in their whole lives."

The Muggleborn witch's eyes widened. "I am honoured. How long will this training take? Do I need to pack? To travel to a different city or country?"

The goblins glanced at each other. "The length of time is uncertain. And you will not need to semi-permanently leave Britain as yet. You will report for work every day as you usually do, but you will have a desk in the lower levels," Gnarlclaw explained. "But bewarned, you will be signing a very stringent confidentiality contract. You are not to share anything with anyone. The only information you are permitted to share with your blood descendants will be the basics of what you learn."

Hermione opened her mouth to protest then shut it seeing their warning looks. "I understand Senior Manager," she said. "When do I start?"

"Tomorrow. Today you will work with the warders taking over your old projects."

**~ooOoo~ooOoo~ooOoo~**

The next day Hermione reported for work dressed in an extra nice set of dress robes made from a sapphire blue wool blend. As instructed, she did not go to her usual work station, but instead went to the lower levels by cart, then changed to a different rail to descend even further, into the goblin-only zones.

There Gnarlclaw showed her to a small office, very dusty and barren looking. She set about using cleaning spells and setting up her files and references. This would be her work station while she was in training. Gnarlclaw had only said the duration varied, for some it was months and for others years; most of the time the magical had given up unable to master the new lessons and methodologies. She prepared a book bag with writing utensils and a shrunken lap desk as instructed. Then she went to track down Gnarlclaw.

He was talking in Gobbleygook with an ancient looking goblin. He stopped and looked at her.

"Miss Granger, this is HawkEyed, a goblin Sealing Master. He will be your guide and advisor, but not your teacher. Master HawkEyed will be the one who will answer any questions you may have."

Hermione nodded and bowed shallowly towards the elderly goblin. "I understand."

"Good. Best of luck in your studies." Gnarlclaw eyed her thoughtfully. "I believe you will be one of the few humans to complete a Sealing Mastery. Do not disappoint me."

Hermione nodded firmly. "I won't." She watched Gnarlclaw walk away before turning to the wizened goblin. "What next Master HawkEyed?"

"Follow," he ordered in a creaky sounding whispery voice.

So she did. She followed him down ancient looking tunnels that looked just about ready to collapse. They were badly lit, musty, and cool with damp. Then finally they were standing in front of a large expanse of polished red granite. Only it was carved with various runes and symbols, some she knew, others looked vaguely familiar, and the rest were complete mystery. The only clue she had was they looked vaguely Oriental.

"You must solve this puzzle," HawkEyed announced and vanished before Hermione could protest.

Hermione huffed but settled down to do just that. Now she knew why Gnarlclaw had told her to pack a good selection of reference texts, writing tools, and a lap desk in her bag!

**~ooOoo~ooOoo~ooOoo~**

It took Hermione nine days to solve the puzzle, another two to complete the necessary steps to cast the ritual described under HawkEyed's watchful eye.

"Are you ready?" HawkEyed asked the young witch.

"Yes."

"And you have packed everything you might need? Once you reach the Summons plane it will not be easy to return without good reason. To do so prematurely will end your chances of advanced instruction."

Hermione nodded. "I understand. I've already sent letters to everyone important to me. That I'm going out of the country to an isolated enclave for a six-month study period."

She shifted slightly on her hikers clad feet, redistributing the weight of her baggage. She was dressed in loose fitting olive-green cargo pants and a pale gray long sleeved shirt. A matching olive-green jacket was tied around her waist. Around her waist she wore a fanny pack and diagonally across her torso a bandolier-style belt with small compartments. No one but her could open and remove what was stored in those greatly expanded spaces. On her back was a more conventional looking charcoal grey backpack.

"Then you may proceed."

Hermione stepped up to a low circular granite pedestal. The knee-high flat top had been designed, carved and painted by her own two hands. HawkEyed had implied every student's seal was unique, in how they perceived and interpreted the information. That alone was a key reason why so many failed before even beginning. But Hermione was pretty confident she would succeed. The more she went over the material the more it made **sense**.

It wasn't hard seeing the patterns once the translation was done. Most of the prep work had to be done before hand, leaving the actual casting very simple and almost idiot-proof. She picked up an obsidian athame and ran the edge across one fingertip as she focused on pulling her power to the surface.

The droplet of blood on her finger began glowing, first silver then blue then gold.

Hermione Granger knelt and ran her bloody finger across the runic array painted on the granite stone pedestal. Gold began to spread from the point where she smeared her blood. In less than a second the entire design was glowing with iridescent colours then gold. The world around her turned to blue light and then vanished.

**~ooOoo~ooOoo~ooOoo~**

Namikaze Minato stuck a tongue out the corner of his mouth as he focused on completing the calculations for the fuuinjutsu. He made a bet with Fukasu-sensei he would complete this fuuin exercise before the end of the day. And he was going to win it!

He scowled when the final results indicated the design was unbalanced and useless.

"You've transposed the numbers on the fifth line of the second set," an unfamiliar female voice commented from behind him.

Minato was a ninja and every instinct screamed at him to attack the intruder who had somehow snuck up on him! A trained shinobi! He would have if he hadn't been in Mount Myouboku. Enemy nin might be able to infiltrate and attack him in Konoha but not in Mount Myouboku, the heart of the Frog Summons territory. So instead he straightened and turned around. And was pleasantly surprised by the owner of the voice.

She was human and older, not too tall with curly light brown hair streaked with dark. Her skin was pale, her face pretty but not beautiful with chocolate brown eyes. She was wearing clothes a shinobi would wear – tough olive green pants and a long sleeved grey t-shirt – and civilian running shoes. Her body was more curvy than a typical kunoichi and her flesh soft, not hard and honed from taijutsu and battle.

"And you are?" he asked rising from his seat and turning to face her.

She flushed prettily before introducing herself. "My name is Hermione Granger. Oh, I mean Granger Hermione. I forgot the names are reversed in your land. Hermione is my first name, Granger is my clan or family name," she added hastily.

Minato inclined his head. "I am Namikaze Minato. Jounin of Konohagakure." He frowned. "How did you get to Mount Myouboku? You aren't a shinobi."

"I'm not," she said simply. "I don't have what you call commonly call chakra. But Fukasu-sensei says I have senjutsu chakra."

The shinobi's eyes widened. "Senjutsu chakra? Wow! Most shinobi have to practice for years to ever reach that level!"

She blushed again. "All my people have senjutsu chakra."

"Really? I've never heard of a village or country where everyone has senjutsu chakra." Minato was intrigued by the possibilities.

She smiled impishly at him. "You wouldn't. I'm from a different world. Just like you." She waved a hand around. "The Summons Plane happens to be connected to many worlds."

Minato was both surprised and curious. "So you used something like a reverse Summons to get here?"

"Yes. Very few of my people practice fuuinjutsu. When I was offered the chance to study from the Masters I said yes."

"I haven't seen you around before," Minato admitted as he moved closer to her.

"I stayed in the Great Owl Forests," she confessed. "Until Elder Amaranth was satisfied with my competency and she allowed me to travel to Mount Myouboku. She did not want me to waste Fukasu-sensei's time while I learnt the basics."

"So what have you learnt?" he asked companionably. Then blushed when his stomach growled rather loudly. He had forgotten to take a break to eat.

She laughed. "Why don't I tell you while we eat?" she suggested. "I'm feeling peckish myself."

Minato grinned. "Sounds good to me."

~o~

Hermione Granger was pleasantly surprised by Minato Namikaze. Despite his training and experience as a shinobi there was something about him that soothed her. Maybe it was because he was genuinely interested in the theory behind fuuinjutsu or the Sealing Arrays, their terms for Runic Arts.

"So how did you get to the Summons plane? Do you have a contract with a Summons clan? The owls? You mentioned staying in the Great Owl Forests," he asked casually between bites of crunchy celery sticks smeared with peanut butter.

She blinked and finished off her carrot stick coated in a yoghurt dip before answering. "Oh no, my familiar is a kneazle-cat hybrid. My best friend had an owl familiar. When she… died she became a Summons creature. Hedwig sponsored my stay here and asked the Owl Amaranth Elder to talk to Fukasu-sensei."

Minato looked confused. "You don't have a Summons contract?"

"No. My people have familiars, a very close tie to certain creatures."

"Then how did you get here?"

"The goblins."

"The who?"

It seemed like the shinobis had never run across magical creatures before. Hermione drank a few sips of green tea before answering.

"Goblins are a unique race in my world; they're warriors and run the primary bank called Gringotts. I work for Gringotts as a warder, what you'd call a fuuinjutsu creator and installer. I was good enough for advanced design training so they offered me the chance of studying under the more Advanced Masters. I had to break down the information to set up a Reverse-Summons that would bring me here." She gave a tiny shrug. "When I did it wasn't something I could turn down."

Minato's eyes widened with surprise and respect. "Wow," was all he could say.

She laughed. "I know. Crossing isn't something that can be done on a whim so I can't go back and forth. I'm going to stay here at least another four months before going home to reassure my friends and family that I'm still alive and then coming back." And Hermione was determined to do so. She was going to complete Fukasu-sensei's training. She was not going to stop and give up half-way through like all the other witches and wizards had.

Minato nodded thoughtfully. "You said everyone in your world has senjutsu chakra, right?"

"Actually no, a small percentage of the entire population has senjutsu chakra. But most don't master it to the level of the sages in your world. It's like a civilian populace and the shinobis who can use chakra. Of all the shinobis very few have the control, discipline, and training to effectively utilize it."

Minato looked like he was seriously considering and accepting her explanation. It did make sense. Among shinobi there were definitely variances in chakra control, chakra capacity, and elemental affinities. It would be the same with senjutsu chakra, or more specifically magic.

"Minato-kun, Hermione-chan."

Both rose from the kitchen table to greet the elderly frog sage.

"Fukasu-sensei," they murmured in almost unison.

His eyes were not open but he gave the impression he was laughing inside.

"Minato-kun, I'm glad you have met Hermione-chan."

"Excuse me?" he asked warily.

"You are going to be Hermione-chan's teacher. More accurately her study partner while she is in Mount Myouboku."

"I don't have time to do a proper job!" he protested. "Sarutobi-sama always has something I need to do and Jiraiya-sensei will want to know what's taking up my time."

Hermione shifted, redistributing her weight before interrupting. "I'm pretty good at motivating myself. I can make notes of any questions I have and ask when you visit."

Minato opened his mouth to protest then shut it. After some thought he spoke. "I suppose we can try."

Hermione relaxed a bit. He hadn't point blankly refused. As long as there was a small crack the witch was certain she could get what she wanted.

**~ooOoo~ooOoo~ooOoo~**

Hermione rubbed her gritty feeling eyes. She dearly wanted to sleep but she was running out of time. Fukasu-sensei had commented she had almost finished her fuuinjutsu mastery training in Mount Myouboku. It had only driven her to increase the workload of research projects and experimental designs she had undertaken. Because once she left Mount Myouboku for the final time she would not be able to come back. She would not be able to stay in touch with Minato or Fukasu-sensei. The goblins had been very particular about emphasizing that.

The ritual to cross dimensions could not be cast more than once in three lunar cycles over the same nexus node, to give reality the time to 'heal' the rift. And the same person could not cast it without a five month interval, to give her magical core the time to recover from the strain. And the goblins only allow the ritual to be cast over the nexus node in their territory for profitable reasons. The research she was doing was interesting but they had no immediate financial benefits.

That sparked an idea in her mind as her expression turned thoughtful. They could not trade material things between worlds but information and ideas were not so limited. Perhaps she could persuade her supervisors to let her set up a think tank. Muggle corporations did sponsor such research in educational institutions. The Summons plane and Mount Myouboku could qualify as one.

But even as Hermione hoped she knew it was a very slim possibility. Only candidates with the potential to master senjutsu chakra were permitted on the Summons plane and they were few and far between. And on her side Gnarlclaw had mentioned she was the first candidate considered in forty years. And the last one had not completed his mastery.

"I'm getting married."

Hermione blinked and tore her blurry eyes from the table covered with sheets of Arithmatic and Runic equations and preliminary power-flow matrices.

"Oh?" she asked confused. "Is it someone I know?"

"I've talked about her. Kushina-chan."

Hermione went over past conversations where they had shared personal information. "Oh. Uzumaki Kushina. Isn't she the one you called tomato when you were kids?"

Minato laughed. "Yes! And she beat me bloody for it."

Hermione arched a brow. "And you're marrying her?"

The taller blonde shrugged. "That was a long time ago."

Hermione cocked her head and studied her friend intently. He was looking away, not meeting her eyes. "Minato, do you really want to marry her?"

After several seconds he turned towards her. "Kushina is a good friend. A kunoichi I respect."

"Do you love her?" Hermione pressed.

"I care for her," he admitted.

She frowned slightly, trying to understand why Minato was agreeing to this, a marriage without romantic passionate love. He must have read her expression because he answered the unvoiced question.

"It's for Konoha. To solidify ties to the survivors of Uzushiogakure. Mito-sama's clan."

Hermione was surprised. "I thought you didn't have a clan who'd push you towards such an arrangement."

"I don't. But I'm one of the candidates to be Hokage and Sarutobi-sama suggested it. Besides, it's not like I have a girlfriend or someone else I'm interested in. And with the war with Iwa pretty much over I do want to have a family. Shinobis can die anytime they go out on a mission. Even a simple uncomplicated one."

She nodded slowly seeing his point. "Then congratulations. I'm sorry I won't be able to attend in person."

Minato nodded and then turned back to his own research, a comfortable silence falling between them.

Hermione would never know he had lied to her when he said he didn't have someone else he was interested in.

Three hours later the theoretical parts were complete and Minato had to leave. Hermione watched him go feeling slightly down though she did not know why. She knew she should be happy for Minato, he was going to start the family he had always yearned for. And if anyone deserved to be a father and happy it was Minato. He more than earned it after all he'd been through with the Konoha-Iwa war.

~o~

Minato popped back into the tiny second bedroom of his apartment. It held most of his extra shinobi gear and fuuinjutsu research. He was surprised to see there was someone there waiting for him.

"Jiraiya-sensei."

The Gama sannin slapped his old student on the shoulder. "You don't have to call me sensei. You've definitely exceeded me in Fuuinjutsu. Fukasu-sama refused to teach me until I was almost twice your age!" Jiraiya eyed him curious. "And you've been spending an awful lot of time in Mount Myouboku. Working on a new jutsu like Hiraishin?"

Minato pressed his lips together. "Sort of."

"Any hints?" Jiraiya wheedled.

"No."

"Okay. Kushina was looking for you."

"Oh. I'll visit her after dinner."

"You know you could take her out."

"I'm tired and I want to rest a bit."

Jiraiya studied his most recent student with concerned eyes. "Minato, is anything wrong?"

The younger shinobi blinked. "Wrong? Nothing's wrong."

"Then why are you so quiet?" Jiraiya pressed. "For someone who chased Kushina so much when you were younger you seem pretty reluctant to spend time with her now that you're going to marry her. You do want to marry her, right?"

Minato's lips thinned and his answer was abrupt. "Yes."

"You don't seem happy about it," Jiraiya commented. "I thought you'd be thrilled about marrying your crush."

"She was a crush. She's a friend now."

"You don't love her?"

"I don't know her anymore." Minato avoided answering the question.

"And you won't unless you spend time with her."

Jiraiya couldn't resist the slight reaction to the cold blue glare directed at him.

"Just drop it sensei," Minato said before pushing past the older shinobi and out of the bedroom.

Jiraiya sighed. Minato was keeping secrets, secrets that interested him more than his long-time crush. The sannin made a mental note to visit Fukasu-sama. The elderly sage summons might have a better idea about what was distracting Minato. His old student had been spending a lot of time in the Summons plane.

Absently the sannin glanced at the sheets on the drafting table. It was an experimental storage seal design to increase quantity and simplify extraction. The basic underlying principles were quite unique and something Jiraiya had never seen before in all his years of studying fuuinjutsu. He wondered just where Minato was getting all these odd new ideas from.

The sannin glanced at the clock and realized he was running late. He could talk to Minato another time.

**~ooOoo~ooOoo~ooOoo~**

Namikaze Minato resisted the urge to laugh hysterically. He had wanted to be Hokage for so long… He'd worked his ass off and succeeded… And then this! Just months after his inauguration the Kyuubi decides to attack Konoha.

He glanced at the mess of papers covering his desk. Secret files containing details of Konoha secrets: the Shodaime, Uchiha Madara, their final battle, the bijuus, methods used by allies and enemies to contain or limit them, to create jinchurikis. But none of them would work to seal the Kyuubi. He had no real choice, no options…

A wild feral light lit sky blue eyes.

Minato grabbed a sheet of paper and began scribbling the requirements for petitioning rituals that Hermione had described to him.

_"In magic intent is the key. With intent you can make anything happen."_

He might not have her skill or potential for full-blown magic, what she called senjutsu, but he had chakra and a good enough grasp on senjutsu chakra.

If there wasn't a fuuinjutsu that could seal away the Kyuubi he'd create one and **make** it work.

**~ooOoo~ooOoo~ooOoo~**

Hermione appeared in a side-alley leading to an employee-only-entrance. The goblin manning it let her in without a demur. Gringotts was not open for wizarding clientele on Sundays but there was always someone working. The cart-ride did not distract her as she descended into the lower levels. She was worried about the reason for the emergency call.

The witch hurried down the dimly lit corridors to HawkEyed's office. Her mentor was seated at his oversized desk with a pile of rolled scrolls on one end. She recognized the seal on one of them.

"What is it?" she asked urgently.

His expression was grim. "I received a message from Fukasu-sama. A bijuu is on its way to attack Minato Namikaze's home. It is highly unlikely that Namikaze will survive this battle."

Hermione's blood ran cold. "What do you mean?" she blindly reached out and grabbed the back of a chair to support herself. "Surely there is **something** we can do to help."

HawkEyed studied her intently. "A bijuu is a force of nature. It can be contained for a limited time, or even redirected. But eventually it will escape."

Hermione struggled for an option. "A banishing ritual?" she offered.

"Who will cast it?" HawkEyed pointed out brutally. "There are very few high-level magicals in that dimension. And those with the potential do not have the training or experience."

Everything came to a stop. She understood now the reason for the emergency call. HawkEyed could have easily given her the message when she came into work tomorrow. But by then it would have been too late. He was giving her the chance to choose. And what a choice!

Her practical side struggled with her heart, logic with emotions. If she chose to go and help, if she crossed the line, she could never cross back, she could never return home.

_But what is home?_ a small insistent voice asked.

The answer was immediate. _Home's where the heart is_. And for a long time her thoughts had been centred around Minato.

_He's married_ , a cold logical voice pointed out.

_I'm his friend. Nothing can change that_ , she countered. _And besides there isn't much holding me here. I stay in touch with my friends and family through owl-post mostly. If I make some preparations that won't have to change._

Something shifted inside her and she felt very calm and certain. Minato needed her and she was going to help him. She rarely felt this in her personal life. It was nice. She used the calm to start building lists; things she absolutely needed, wanted to have, could live without.

"Master HawkEyed, I've made my choice and I'll need your help to prepare for my trip."

The elderly goblin eyed her intently. "I will provided you continue to work for Gringotts."

Hermione did not have to think. "Agreed. Payment will be information, research, and correspondence."

"Yes."

HawkEyed rang a bell and summoned a half-dozen goblins-in-training and gave each a sheet of paper.

"Supplies that you would find useful. You might not be able to take them into the Elemental world but you can leave them in the Summons Plane. Perhaps in time you might find a solution that would permit easier travel and regular trade."

Hermione smiled slowly. "I think that will be my side-project."

"Good. Do you have any ideas about what you wish to do with your assets?"

She sat down and pulled a sheet of paper and a lead pencil. Goblins had no issues about using Muggle stationary.

"I'd like to use a pensieve, to leave a message and directions," she murmured. "My parents will get most of my mundane assets. Harry will get my magical property. He can decide what to do with it. I'm taking my library and leaving it in Mount Myouboku."

HawkEyed nodded. "Start making lists and I'll send the young ones out to fill them." He smiled a toothy grin filled with snaggled teeth. "I will fund forty percent of your purchases for fifteen percent of the profits from the future trade route."

Hermione laughed. She was pleased by her mentor's confidence in her, that she would eventually solve the problems around material exchanges across dimensions. "Agreed."

**~ooOoo~ooOoo~ooOoo~**

Sarutobi Hiruzen was feeling too depressed to even think about smoking to alleviate the tension. His successor was going to use his own newborn son to seal the Kyuubi and die leaving the poor child an orphan. If only Kushina had not gone and tried to take on the bijuu by herself! He gave himself a mental shake. Her actions, her sacrifice was to give Minato the time needed to summon the Shinikami, to seal the Kyuubi. If she hadn't acted a good portion of Konoha would have been destroyed by now.

A sharp unfamiliar energy filled the room, chasing away the depression and fear. Adrenaline set his heart racing as looked around trying to determine the source of the threat. The junior ANBU guards must have felt the same because they closed ranks around the retired Hokage.

"Sandaime-sama," one said warningly as he drew his blade.

Then one of them gasped. Everyone turned and saw what she saw. A man-sized swirl of blue and white energy floating in mid-air. Then from the rip stumbled a mature, attractive, not too tall, woman around thirty years. She was dressed in too-big clothing a shinobi would wear (drab olive green pants and a navy blue shirt) but did not move like one. And she was not wearing any shoes. Her bare feet were narrow and soft looking with no visible pressure calluses or lines common to wearers of shinobi sandals.

She said something in a foreign tongue Sarutobi did not recognize. But he did recognize the impatient look in her eyes as she waved at her throat and began speaking in the Common Tongue of the Elemental Countries.

"I need to speak to Namikaze Minato."

Sarutobi stiffened. A strange unknown woman seeking the Hokage in a time of great stress? Was she an enemy sent to distract Minato from what needed to be done? The ANBU must have thought the same because they moved.

She said something in that odd foreign tongue. " _Petrificus Maximus_!" There was a powerful surge of chakra. And then it was like Sarutobi had just been poisoned with the most potent paralysing agent in the world. With no handseals and only a wide-angle beam of white light.

She moved forward, stepping around the paralysed fallen ANBU, towards Sarutobi. He tried to flare his chakra, to break the genjutsu, the ninjutsu. Nothing worked. He was helpless as she stood before him, her dark brown eyes boring into him.

From this close up he could see she was not beautiful but there was a steely strength in her, a knowing tolerant look. It was not the look of someone who was going to kill. But then again the best assassins did not give away their profession until they were ready to act.

"I need to know where Minato is," she said bluntly.

Sarutobi snorted mentally. Like he'd tell her even if he wasn't paralysed. Minato didn't need any distractions at this point. The longer he was delayed the more chance there was for the Kyuubi to destroy all of Konoha.

She smiled and Sarutobi was confused. Then he felt it. The subtle touch **inside** his mind. She knew something similar to the Yamanaka mind walking techniques! Only her jutsu was so subtle and delicate he hadn't felt her rummaging through his memories. He clamped down and tried to clear his mind but it was too late. She had simply followed his train of active thoughts and knew where Minato was, what he was doing.

She arched one brow and sniffed. "You might be prepared to let him die but **I** am not," she told him pointedly before turning around and vanishing.

How did she do that? This part of the Hokage Tower was supposed to be protected from anyone using any form of transportation technique. Only Minato's Hiraishin… Was she using some variation of Hiraishin?

Sarutobi focused on pulsing his chakra irregularly. He needed to escape from the paralysing jutsu and go help Minato!

It took precious minutes but finally he succeeded. It was easier to free the ANBU by inserting a small amount of his own chakra to create a discordant resonance that broke the technique.

"You three follow me," he ordered the senior ANBU leaving the juniors to hold position. They were running out the door and towards the closest external window.

~o~

Hermione was not worried about getting lost. She got a good enough mental map of Konoha from using Legilimens on the old Hokage. Extracting information from a well-ordered unsuspecting mind was surprisingly easy for a skilled practioner of the Mind Arts.

One Apparation jump took her to a roof with the best vantage point. A second jump took her to the area where Minato said he would be doing the ritual to seal the Kyuubi in his newborn son, a clearing at the base of the cliff. There were two porcelain masked shinobi with him. The third Apparition jump landed her between him and the Summoning Circle. Before any of the shinobis could react she scooped the wailing infant from the centre of the Circle and cuddled him close before stepping up to the Yondaime.

Then she slapped him across the face.

"Idiot!" she snarled as she twisted the fingers of one hand in his shirt and dragged him down to her eye level. "Idiot," she said again more softly.

"Hermione?" he sounded confused yet hopeful to see her. "What are you doing here?"

The ANBU looked at each other before deciding to hold and watch. Yondaime-sama knew her and she wasn't trying to kill him.

"Stopping you from killing yourself," she retorted dragging him behind her and away from the Circle. "Why didn't you contact me sooner? And don't tell me you didn't have any warning! Someone would have seen that monster crossing the countryside."

He looked confused. "I didn't have time. There was no warning," he answered absently. Then his expression turned awed. "You're here!" he whispered. "You're actually here!"

She looked at him baffled. "Of course I'm here! Where else would I be?"

"But you can't go back." The joy faded. "What have you done?" he asked.

That was very easy for Hermione to answer. "You are my friend. I don't leave my friends hanging when I can help."

"But you've exiled yourself!" he said in a near yell. "You can't go back! Fukasu-sama said you can't go back home!"

She gave him a patient tolerant look. "I know. And I chose to do this." Absently she began rocking the baby in her arm. "You aren't going to die."

There was a loud explosion. Everyone turned in the direction of the firestorm.

His expression was resolute. "I have to stop the Kyuubi."

She made a soft snorting sound. "You, hold your son," she ordered thrusting the baby at him.

The blonde Hokage fumbled before catching his now wide-awake son, shifting so the baby was pressed against his coat and not the armoured and equipped flak jacket.

She grabbed the brush and pot of chakra ink he had just used to draw the seals and bit the base of her thumb, squeezing it over the pot until three drops of blood dripped into the black liquid. It glowed and shimmered emitting an iridescent light that faded after three seconds. Then she knelt on the ground and began modifying the seal he had just drawn.

He crouched next to her cradling his son. "What are you doing?" he asked examining her changes.

"Changing the sacrifice."

She saw she had clearly confused him.

"Life doesn't have to equal a soul. There are alternatives," she told him. She saw he did not understand but there wasn't enough time to explain it. "Just stand back and let me work. Remember the first principle I taught you Minato…"

"Intent is everything," he responded automatically.

"Yes," she said firmly as she rose from her crouch to step towards him. Without bothering to ask she extracted a kunai from his pouch and ran it across her left palm.

Blood welled up from the cut and filled her cupped palm. She turned it upside down, spilling the bright red liquid on the outer edge of her modified fuuin. Then she pressed her palm against the edge and **pushed**.

Minato could sense the senjutsu chakra swell and thicken within her. Then grow in intensity until it spilled out of her skin, creating a coruscating halo of light and power around her. Streamers of blue, green, red, yellow, and white energy ribbons flared around before latching into the ground and ancient mature trees surrounding the clearing. He could sense the power in her concentrate and reach impossible levels! A civilian would have died within seconds. A shinobi would be in agonizing pain by now. Even a kage-ranked nin would be hard pressed to control and direct the power within her at that moment.

Then she opened her eyes, eyes with no trace of brown, eyes that resembled pools of white fire, and she spoke in her native tongue. Minato wasn't the best at speaking it but he knew enough to understand and translate her words.

_"Death God voiced once I petition thee / Death God named twice I beseech thee / Death God called thrice I enrich thee."_

A heavy mist filled the air above the seal in a swirling column drifting into the heavens.

The Yondaime stiffened when he saw the figure emerging from the mist. A terrifying looking figure dressed in light grey robes with horns, a huge mane of white hair, pasty skin, a face that resembled a terrifying kabuki mask, and sharp canine teeth clenching a tanto. The Yondaime was used to facing near invincible enemies but the Shinikami was not an opponent a mortal could fight against and win forever.

Minato stifled a small surge of hysteria when the Shinikami looked at Hermione.

"Witch." His lips did not move but his voice was heard by all given the small flinches from the ANBUs.

"Death God," Hermione responded in equally calm, grave tones.

"Why have you Summoned me?"

"To banish the bijuu attacking this community."

The Shinikami's toothy grin widened around the tanto. "Not to seal the beast?" the God asked archly.

Hermione made a scoffing sound. "And risk it escaping when the vessel is damaged? Of course not!"

"The price to open the Hell Gates is higher than to seal away and contain."

She just pressed her lips together in a thin line. "I will pay it. In life."

"Very well little witch."

And then the concentrated senjutsu chakra around her surged and began flowing out, towards the Shinikami. It flowed and flowed and Minato was terrified she was going to die from chakra exhaustion. Then he noticed it wasn't happening.

The senjutsu chakra within her was being refilled from the streamers anchored in the ground and trees. In fact the trees were starting to look withered and brittle. They aged, grew, died, and fell apart as if subjected to some unknown space-time jutsu that concentrated decades of growth into seconds. Hermione was trembling but focused on channelling the senjutsu chakra through her and into the Death God.

At that moment Minato understood what she had said. Life was life, sentient or not, and a soul was not the only currency to pay in life potential. He held his son tight and watched tensely with the first surge of real hope of surviving this night. As the seconds ticked by Minato became more concerned. He could see the strain affecting her. She was on her knees now, bleeding from her bitten lip, from eyes, nostrils, and ears where small blood vessels had burst from the strain. Would she collapse before the Shinikami was satisfied?

She didn't. The outflow stopped abruptly and she fell onto her hands trembling before sitting back on her heels.

"Payment?" she asked in a thin reedy voice.

"Acceptable," the Death God said in a bemused voice. "You are the first with potential to effortlessly walk all the Paths since my last true priest."

Hermione bowed her head. "I am honoured you see potential in me," she murmured.

The looming figure tilted his head to one side then away. "The Kyuubi will be removed from this plane and banished as long as your bloodline exists to anchor the pact." Then the Death God turned away making a gesture.

In the distance several set of gigantic doors materialized around the Kyuubi, boxing it in. It screamed and howled and thrashed enraged but was unable to escape from the vacuum pulling the bijuu apart before drawing the swirling toxic chakra into the gates. When the last traces of its presence vanished and only the faintest remnants of the caustic aura and dense chakra remained, the gates and the Death God vanished.

Minato panicked when Hermione collapsed, falling forward and almost smashing her face before he caught her by the back of her shirt. Then he realized something.

"Are you wearing my shirt?" He studied her outfit more closely. "Hey! Those look like the pants I left in Mount Myouboku! You shortened the legs." He was patently baffled. "Why are you wearing my clothes?"

"You're noticing it only now?" she retorted in weary but acid tones even as she shifted to lean back and rest against his legs. She sighed then explained. "If I didn't borrow them I'd be naked. You know nothing non-living survives a full Crossover."

Minato blinked. "Oh. I'd forgotten about that."

"Well now you know," she mumbled just as her stomach growled rather loudly. "Do you have anything to eat?" she begged, "I haven't eaten in ages and I'm starving. I've only lasted this long because I took a load of nutrient potions and boosters before Crossing."

Minato glanced at the ANBU who obediently pulled out a small selection of food and chakra replenishing pills from a storage seal. He accepted the small round objects, and discreetly tested them for tampering, before handing them to Hermione who dry swallowed them just before she passed out. Minato was kneeling and holding her close as she collapsed.

He was not willing to choose between Naruto and Hermione, refusing the ANBUs offer to carry one of them. Instead he slung Hermione over his left shoulder, pressing her legs against his chest, and held his son against his other side using his right arm. He did not want to examine his actions too closely. He did not trust his ANBU to carry either one but he trusted them to defend him in the event of an ambush.

He caught the eye of the senior ANBU and gave new orders. "Find Sarutobi-sama and ask him to join me in my office."

"There is no need Minato-san," the familiar gravely voice of his predecessor responded. "I am here." The Sandaime emerged from between the now dead trees. "Who is she?" he asked with wonder and a small tinge of fearful respect in his voice.

The younger shinobi's expression hardened. "She is mine. Everything you have seen, any speculations you may have, they are now S-class secrets and not to be discussed without my expression permission," he ordered bluntly before vanishing in a yellow flash.

Sarutobi blinked, taken aback by the hard stance taken by the Yondaime. "As you command Yondaime-sama," he murmured giving the ANBU warning looks. Then he sighed realizing his successor had vanished leaving him in charge of the clean up duties.

He forced himself to look at the bright side. Naruto had been saved from the terrible burden of being a jinchuuriki. Minato was alive and well. Sure Sarutobi wanted to know more about the woman Shinikami-sama called witch and priestess, but he could wait until Minato was ready to share.

**~ooOoo~ooOoo~ooOoo~**

Hermione stirred and squeezed her eyes shut to keep out the blinding white light.

"Hermione?"

"Lights," she whispered in a harsh croak.

They dimmed. Warily she peeled open first one eye then the other once she was certain she would not be blinded. She was in an unfamiliar room lying on a futon style bed. Minato was sitting beside her reading a pile of scrolls and folders. The baby was lying on a spread-out blanket right next to him.

He was holding a glass of water at her lips, holding her head up and tilting the glass so she could wet her lips and sip slowly. After some minutes she felt better and more capable of speech.

"How long?" she asked.

"More than twenty hours," he told her seriously. "You were diagnosed as suffering from exhaustion and shock. Once your systems stabilized I insisted on moving you from the hospital. There are too many who know you are special; despite my gag order."

Hermione smiled wryly before shifting onto her side and reaching out to touch his knee. "Hey, don't take it so personally. It would have gotten out at some point."

His expression did not relax. "You don't understand," he said stiffly. "There's talk and whispers of 'persuading' you, by coercion or seduction," he added bluntly.

Hermione made a soft snorting sound. "They're more than welcome to try and be sorely disappointed," she said calmly. "I've plenty of experience in being hated and pursued for my contacts and influence than myself. They won't get anything from me because I don't owe them anything." Steady brown eyes met blue without flinching. "I'm your friend, not theirs."

Minato placed his hand over hers and clenched it tight. "I don't want to be just your friend," he confessed.

She stared at him shocked and confused. "Minato?" she asked hesitantly, uncertain of whether to believe or deny.

"Kushina is, was, a friend. At one point in my life I did chase after her. But once I met you I found myself more drawn to you," he said slowly, hesitantly.

"But, but," she stammered before breaking off. "I never suspected," she said finally, "You didn't say anything. You certainly didn't show it."

He smiled faintly, wryly. "What was there to say? All of us knew we could only meet in the Summons plane on limited time that was running out. How could I ask you to leave everything behind for an uncertain future that would more than likely be filled with violence? Besides, it wasn't like you were interested in me back then."

"I wasn't," she admitted, "You were a friend, a partner, a colleague."

"And now?" he wanted to know.

"I don't know," she confessed, "You are more. What kind of more I don't know."

He nodded slowly. "I'd like the chance to get to know you better." Her eyes widened in shock. "I know it's too soon for anything serious or romantic. I want to be a friend-friend, not just an academic partner. If something more happens, it happens," he added with a small shrug.

She considered his request in silence before finally nodding, indicating her agreement.

Hermione never knew that in Minato's mind she was already his. That he would be making every effort to win her affections and keep them.

**~ooOoo~ooOoo~ooOoo~**

Jiraiya stared with bemused eyes at his old student. Minato looked very unthreatening and relaxed, carrying his son in a sling across his front as he read reports and ploughed through the paperwork generated in the Kyuubi aftermath. The sannin was very glad he was not Hokage and tied down to a desk and paperwork.

"Who is she?" He finally asked the question that had been plaguing him since his old teacher had spoken to him, about the way Granger Hermione had appeared, her abilities, and how she had gotten rid of the Kyuubi, the title given by the Shinikami himself: Priestess.

Minato put down the scroll he was reading. "Hermione? She is a friend."

Jiraiya made a small scoffing sound. "She's more than a friend from what I heard."

His old student shrugged. "She is to me but I'm giving her time to adjust. When she's ready I'm going to marry her."

Jiraiya frowned slightly. "You know her that well?"

"Better than anyone else and I want to know everything about her. She intrigues and inspires me as no one else ever will." That confused the older nin and amused Minato. "Besides, who do you think gave me the idea for Hiraishin?"

"What!?"

"Hermione has a kekkai genkai that allows her to travel almost instantaneously. Without anchoring seals like Hiraishin."

Shaken by the revelation the sannin took the free seat across the desk. "Where has she been hiding all this time? Every Hidden Village would kill for such a clan to join them."

Minato snorted softly. "They won't find another like her." He met his old teacher's demanding look calmly. "She's from another world."

"How?"

"The Summons Plane. It can act as a bridge between different dimensions. Fukasu-sensei introduced her to me a few years ago."

Jiraiya frowned. "Fukasu-sama didn't introduce me to any pretty ladies when I went to Mount Myouboku!"

Minato laughed. "Remember that puzzle you gave me? When I completed my Apprenticeship with you?"

"What? The unsolvable one?" Dark eyes widened in shocked understanding. "Wait, you mean you actually solved it? How?"

"There isn't one correct answer," Minato explained. "The puzzle changes depending on who's trying to solve it."

Jiraiya was bemused. "It's tradition to give it to students once they've graduated but I've always thought it was unsolvable, a gag, to remind us we might be Masters by we don't know everything."

Minato leaned forward. "It's that in part. But when I solved it Fukasu-sensei taught me of other dimensions and introduced me to Hermione."

Jiraiya frowned. "If you met her years ago why am I meeting her only now?"

"Oaths. And it's not like you can visit other dimensions on a whim. The energy requirements and rules are very extensive. And it can only be done once or twice a year. And once you Crossover you're bound to the new dimension and cannot go back. Only the Summons Plane is exempt because it's a common point, a bridge dimension."

"So you mean…"

"Hermione's trapped here. She chose to leave her whole world behind to save me. I'll do anything to make sure she's safe and happy."

Jiraiya could see Minato had made up his mind and nothing would budge him. Besides if this Hermione did have such a kekkai genkai it made sense to encourage her affiliation to Konoha. It was too heavy to say that, so the sannin did what he did best and changed the topic.

"Do you think Fukasu-sama will introduce me to a pretty girl if I solve the puzzle?"

It worked and Minato laughed. "I doubt it sensei. Hermione is one-of-a-kind."

There was a knock at the door and Minato's secretary poked her head in. "Yondaime-sama, Granger-san's here and wishes to speak to you."

Minato grinned broadly. "Send her in!"

Jiraiya watched as Minato stepped around his desk and hugged the newcomer, the foreign woman, the witch, the priestess. He watched as she returned the embrace unselfconsciously, then unbuckle the straps of the sling securing Naruto, to hold the baby against her chest, all without asking permission from Minato. It wasn't the action of an uncertain woman who didn't know what she wanted.

He smiled and mentally resigned himself to the new reality; that this woman wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. Then he stood up and walked over to join them, holding out his hand.

"Hi, since Minato isn't doing the introductions let me do it for him… I'm Jiraiya, his old teacher."

She smiled at him and gripped his hand with her small callus-free one. "My name is Granger Hermione. Minato and the toads have told me a great deal about you."

The sannin grinned. "Really? Good things I hope."

She grinned in response. "That depends on your definition of good."

Jiraiya was now certain things would work out. A shinobi's wife had to have a good sense of humour and lots of self-confidence. Granger-san definitely had both. And anyone on good terms with the Death God was one to respect.

**~ooOoo~ooOoo~ooOoo~**

The End.

**Author's Note:**

> This was just a what-if that would not leave me alone.


End file.
